diff --git a/arch/arm/core/Kconfig b/arch/arm/core/Kconfig
index 3f988744752..75c35d65132 100644
--- a/arch/arm/core/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/arm/core/Kconfig
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ config CPU_CORTEX_M
 	select ARCH_HAS_STACK_PROTECTION if ARM_MPU || CPU_CORTEX_M_HAS_SPLIM
 	select ARCH_HAS_USERSPACE if ARM_MPU
 	select ARCH_HAS_NOCACHE_MEMORY_SUPPORT if ARM_MPU && CPU_HAS_ARM_MPU && CPU_CORTEX_M7
+	select SWAP_NONATOMIC
 	help
 	  This option signifies the use of a CPU of the Cortex-M family.
 
diff --git a/kernel/Kconfig b/kernel/Kconfig
index 6463d9e38de..4c49bf63b21 100644
--- a/kernel/Kconfig
+++ b/kernel/Kconfig
@@ -483,6 +483,18 @@ config ARCH_HAS_CUSTOM_SWAP_TO_MAIN
 	  the _main() thread, but instead must do something custom. It must
 	  enable this option in that case.
 
+config SWAP_NONATOMIC
+	bool
+	help
+	  On some architectures, the _Swap() primitive cannot be made
+	  atomic with respect to the irq_lock being released.  That
+	  is, interrupts may be received between the entry to _Swap
+	  and the completion of the context switch.  There are a
+	  handful of workaround cases in the kernel that need to be
+	  enabled when this is true.  Currently, this only happens on
+	  ARM when the PendSV exception priority sits below that of
+	  Zephyr-handled interrupts.
+
 config ARCH_HAS_CUSTOM_BUSY_WAIT
 	bool
 	# hidden